In, for example, devices for introduction and/or withdrawal of a medium in a container there is a need for contamination-free sealing and cutting of the hoses that extend between the conveying means and the collecting vessels which are connected to the process container. The reason for this is that it is desirable that the collecting vessels, after being filled with a medium from the process container, can be moved without any risk of contamination to a laboratory or the like for sampling or analysis of the medium. In the above application, the requirements for good hygienic conditions and contamination-free environment/surroundings are exacting.
Solutions for sealing a hose are previously known in the art, for instance in the form of a folded clip, which is applied to a folded end of the hose. The clip is then crimped against the hose for sealing of the same, whereupon the hose is cut downstream of the clip by means of a pair of scissors or some other cutting tool. However, a solution of this kind does not satisfy the requirements for good hygienic conditions and contamination-free sealing referred to in the application described above. For example the clips do not always provide the desired sealing effect and there is in most cases at least a small portion of the hose left downstream of the clip. There might even be a small portion of the hose left downstream of the clip on both of the cut hose ends. This hose portion or hose portions contain a small quantity of the medium, which may leak out to the surrounding area with an obvious risk of contamination.
Solutions to the above problem have been suggested in, for example, EP 1 090 281, which is owned by the present applicant and which discloses an appliance for sealing a sleeve that has been preassembled around a hose in a contamination-free manner.
A problem associated with this solution, however, is that during storage the material of the preassembled sleeves may crack due to stress corrosion, a consequence of which may be that the desired contamination-free sealing of the hose is not obtained. There is thus a need for a solution that eliminates this problem.